'''Note:''' The Virginia Republican Party held a primary on May 7, 2013 after [[Lacey Putney]] announced his retirement.<ref>[http://www.vpap.org/offices/profile/61?election_id=6977 ''Virginia Public Access Project,'' "House of Delegates District 19," Accessed May 31, 2013]</ref>

'''Note:''' The Virginia Republican Party held a primary on May 7, 2013 after [[Lacey Putney]] announced his retirement.<ref>[http://www.vpap.org/offices/profile/61?election_id=6977 ''Virginia Public Access Project,'' "House of Delegates District 19," Accessed May 31, 2013]</ref>

The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election is March 28, 2013. Independent candidates wishing to run in the general election are required to submit their nomination petitions by June 11, 2013.[1]

Nomination petitions must contain the signatures of at least 125 qualified voters in the legislative district. Major party candidates are required to submit a primary filing fee equal to 2% of the annual salary for the office sought in effect in the year in which the candidate files. In 2013, the primary filing fee is $352.80.[1]

Majority control

Heading into the November 5 election, the Republican Party holds the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates:

Campaign contributions

This chart shows how many candidates ran for state house in Virginia in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state house races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[2]

Total contributions, Virginia House of Delegates

Year

Number of candidates

Total contributions

2011

153

$25,013,110

2009

204

$35,947,346

2007

156

$32,931,206

2005

187

$25,340,303

2003

158

$13,103,722

2001

182

$13,681,547

1999

173

$12,195,201

During the 2011 election, the total contributions to the 153 house candidates was $25,013,110. The top 10 contributors were:[2]

Impact of Redistricting

In the General Assembly, new State Senate and State House districts were dramatically redrawn in Northern Virginia. Although the number of state senate districts remained at 40, large population growth in the Northeastern counties meant that the state needed to add several new house districts. It had not been determined where the new districts would be added, but this affected how the other Senate and House districts would be drawn.[5] When the new lines were drawn, the ideal size for a Senate district was 200,000 while House districts were 88,900.[6]

On April 29, 2011, Governor of VirginiaBob McDonnell (R) signed a revised legislative redistricting plan.[7] Following the Governor's initial veto, the House quickly passed a revised version of their chamber's maps, reuniting a handful of divided precincts.[8] In the State Senate, Democrats initially expressed strong opposition to changes, defending the fairness of the plan.[9] However, Democrats and Republicans ultimately reached a compromise and passed a modified plan 32-5. While several modifications to plans were made, it appeared that the key compromise centered on Virginia Beach. The original plan had consolidated two Republican seats in the region into one district. The new plan preserved two distinct districts.[10]

Governor McDonnell responded favorably to the revised plans. In a statement released prior to his signature, McDonnell stated that the plan "retains more geographic and municipal boundaries, contains districts that are somewhat more compact, and passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan vote." McDonnell also said that the plan is a "great improvement" over the previous draft.[11] The plan moved to the Department of Justice for approval under the Voting Rights Act.